


One Inch Man

by idiotbrothers



Category: Tiny Meat Gang (Band)
Genre: Denial of Feelings, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Insecurity, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mutual Pining, POV Noel Miller
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:20:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22514644
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/idiotbrothers/pseuds/idiotbrothers
Summary: Noeldidn'thave a difficult time honestly expressing himself; he just wasn't the type to get in his feelings over nothing. He’d never pine, like some miserable teenager - he was above that, and he knew how to stay in control. Or so he’d tell you.
Relationships: Cody Ko/Noel Miller
Comments: 23
Kudos: 149





	One Inch Man

**Author's Note:**

> RPF Disclaimer: This is just for fun and in no way reflects on the IRL Cody and Noel. Please don't show this to them or anyone else associated with TMG. 
> 
> Title from the song of the same name by Kyuss. Apparently I'm back to doing that instead of resorting to fussy terminological phrases.

Noel was in a foul fucking mood. Hours of footage he’d shot for an experimental video he was planning had gotten corrupted, he’d somehow managed to lose his keys somewhere, and to top it all off, he and Cody had been waiting in line at Starbucks for an absolutely unreasonable amount of time.

Though there was a Peet’s right across the street, Noel wasn’t about to give up at this point; it was the principle of the thing. “This is fucking ridiculous,” he seethed, crossing his arms.

“We could always just, y’know, leave,” Cody said, sounding unbothered. He had a definitive bitchy streak, so this would normally be the kind of thing that pissed him off to no end, but Noel had noticed that his own temper flare-ups usually had a sort of calming effect on Cody. 

“I’m not leaving until I get some goddamn caffeine in my body,” Noel responded. 

“Okay, okay,” Cody said, irritating Noel even further.

By the time they finally made it to the front of the line to order, Noel couldn’t even remember what he’d wanted. The barista offered them the weary, painted-on smile of someone at the tail end of a nightmarish shift. “Hi, what can I get for you?” 

“Give me a minute,” Noel said, eyes scanning the menu all over again. 

“Sir, there’s a very long line. If you could - ”

“I know there’s a long fucking line, thanks. The least you could do after making me wait in that fucking line for ages is give me _one minute_ to remember my order.” 

“He’ll take a tall espresso macchiato,” Cody cut in smoothly, “and I’ll just get one of those cake pops. And sorry, he’s not always like this. Rough day.” 

“ _Cody_ \- ” 

“Go get some air, man. I’ll meet you outside.” 

Noel’s looked from Cody to the barista, who was chewing on her bottom lip nervously as she inputted Cody’s order. Noel deflated. “Alright.” 

The anger had totally drained out of him about fifteen minutes later, when Cody approached him with his coffee in hand. “You feeling better?” 

“Yeah,” Noel grunted, sheepish. He took the cup from Cody. “Sorry,” he added, avoiding eye contact.

“It’s that poor barista you should be apologizing to, not me,” Cody said. His tone was light.

Noel sighed gustily, pinched the bridge of his nose. “I feel like an asshole.” 

“You _are_ kind of an asshole. But that’s not news,” Cody said, grinning. 

“Why am I friends with your unsympathetic ass,” Noel said, predictably eliciting a laugh from Cody. 

Noel took a cautious sip of his coffee. He’d have ordered a different drink if Cody hadn’t interjected, but oddly enough, it was fucking perfect. Exactly what he needed.

“Here,” Cody said, brandishing his strawberry cake pop at him.

Noel blinked at him. “What, you got this for _me_?” 

“To cut the bitterness.” 

Noel took it, internally wrestling with the disproportionate fondness that was bubbling up in his chest. 

“That’s dumb,” Noel said lamely, unable to come up with anything more biting. 

“You’re welcome. Also, you owe me nine bucks.”

* * *

  
“How do I look?” 

Noel gave Cody a once-over, taking in the deliberately tousled hair, the t-shirt pulled tight across his pecs, the fact that he was wearing his most dramatically distressed jeans. 

“Like a slut,” Noel answered, opting for honesty. 

“Good,” Cody smiled, jingling his keys in his palm. 

“You got somewhere special to be after this?” 

“Nah,” Cody said, “One of the post office guys is just really, um...” He cut himself off, likely for Noel’s benefit.

“Hot?” Noel supplied, adopting an unruffled demeanor, though in actuality he was maybe _the tiniest bit_ ruffled. “Don’t censor yourself on my account.” 

Cody scratched at the nape of his neck. “Yeah, uh. I dunno if he’s into dudes yet, so I’m, like - testing the waters.” 

Noel scoffed, which made Cody visibly flinch, so he quickly elaborated, “I can’t believe you’re tryna shoot your shot at the fucking _post office_.” 

Indignant defenses came pouring out of Cody’s mouth, and Noel gleefully teased him in return, a laugh sputtering out of him when Cody eventually socked him in the shoulder. 

After Noel had had his fun, Cody meekly asked, “Can you come with me, actually?” 

Noel blinked. “What, to your USPS conquest? Why would you want me there?” 

Cody fingered at his bottom lip, apparently a nervous gesture. “Y’know.” 

“I don’t, though,” Noel said, amused. 

“You make me… more confident, I guess.” 

“ _Wingman_ isn’t in my job description,” Noel said lightly, “Call Devon for that shit.” 

“No, dude, it’s not the same. Nobody else I know…” 

Cody paused abruptly, a tinge of red creeping into his face. 

“Is as charming, intelligent, and multi-talented as I am?” Noel finished for him, keeping his tone glib to mask the curiosity that was gaping hungrily open in his chest. 

Cody laughed, but it sounded strained. “C’mon, man, please?” 

“You’re high-maintenance as hell, you know that?” Noel deftly swiped Cody’s keys from between his fingers before he could respond. “I’ll drive.” 

* * *

  
“Remember when we used to do code sprints together,” Cody said, apropos of nothing. 

“Yeah,” Noel mumbled tiredly, his mind swinging away from the footage he’d been painstakingly editing for hours. 

“I kinda miss those days,” Cody continued, as dreamily as if he were high on something. 

“No, you don’t,” Noel said, “You’re just so far removed from that life that all the hard edges are gone.” 

“Dude,” Cody said, and Noel knew he meant, _You don’t need to be so annoyingly realistic about everything_ , with an echo of, _Just let me be nostalgic_. 

“I haven’t slept in 48 hours,” Noel said, by way of explanation. 

“Okay,” Cody said, and Noel could see him straightening upwards in his peripheral vision. “Time for a break. C’mon, get up.” 

“What is this,” Noel said, letting Cody manhandle him out of his chair, “Where’re we going? It’s past midnight.” 

Cody took his hand, and Noel didn’t have the energy to protest it for appearance’s sake, willingly shuffled behind Cody as he pulled him along to Noel’s bedroom. 

They halted in front of the bed like it was the edge of a cliff, and Noel, his brain having devolved into gelatinous mush, drawled, “I’m not bottoming my first time, just so you know.” 

“ _Jesus_ , Noel,” Cody said, high-pitched and mortified, like he actually hadn’t expected Noel to make a joke like that.

Noel turned to grin at him, warm satisfaction chasing away some of the bone-deep weariness currently suffusing his body. Fuck, there really were fewer greater pleasures in life than getting a rise out of Cody, seeing him with his cheeks flushed and his eyes cast to the side and his bottom lip bitten raw, and knowing that he could affect him like that without even trying. It made Noel feel powerful in a way that was rare and precious.

Cody swallowed, and Noel watched the column of his throat, his thoughts blurring unintelligibly.

“Get some sleep,” Cody said, only somewhat managing to sound stern. “I can finish up the edits.” 

Noel hummed, took a seat on his bed. “No offense, but the fans would be able to tell.” 

Cody blew out an annoyed breath, acknowledging Noel’s point with a muttered, “Perfectionist bastard.” 

“I’ll keep working on it in the morning,” Noel said, and then thoughtlessly added, “Sleep with me.” 

The corners of his mouth quirked into a smile when Cody’s eyebrows shot up with alarm. 

“Mind out of the gutter, bruh. I’m too zonked to fuck you at the moment.” 

“Oh my god. Who even are you right now?”

“I’m a guy who wants to share a bed with someone ‘cause maybe that’ll help his insomnia fuck off, and to that end, a guy who doesn’t mind a little bed-sharing between homies.” 

Cody nodded slowly, good humor replacing the awe on his face as he said, “Right, what’s a little cuddling between bros?” 

“I never said cuddling was on the table,” Noel said, breaking into a yawn as he laid back and got comfortable in his bed. “Too bad,” Cody quipped, sliding into place behind Noel and immediately wrapping his arms around him. 

“Man, fuck you,” Noel murmured, and before he knew it, sleep was crawling towards him, lulled in by the comforting sensations of Cody’s body heat and his breath on the nape of Noel’s neck and the slowing rhythm of his heartbeat. 

* * *

  
“Finish your own food first,” Noel said, pushing Cody’s hand away from his plate of loaded nachos.

“Yours looks so good, though,” Cody said petulantly, half of his monstrous burrito laying forgotten on his plate.

Noel prodded at Cody’s ankle with the toe of his shoe under the table. “Fine. Spoiled brat.”

Cody was deep in nacho-induced bliss almost before Noel got the words out.

“I wish food made me that happy,” Noel said, idly chewing on an almost-naked tortilla chip.

Cody sucked queso off his thumb, looked at Noel contemptuously. “I’d almost prefer it if you said, _Slow down, fatass_.”

“Hey,” Noel said, “I meant that genuinely.” 

“Comments like that are, like, exclusively disingenuous.” 

As usual, one of Cody’s legs was bouncing with restless energy. Noel stilled the motion by caging Cody’s feet between his own. Cody’s eyebrows knitted together, a question trapped between his lips.

“Ready for this?” Noel asked. Cody opened his mouth to speak, the picture of bewilderment. “Here comes the airplane,” Noel interjected quickly, scooping up a chip laden with toppings and hovering it in front of Cody’s face until he allowed Noel to feed it to him, blinking glassily like all previous thoughts had flown out of his head. Mission accomplished. 

Their waitress chose that moment to stop by, pitcher of water held aloft. All of a sudden, Noel was hideously embarrassed by what he’d just done, struck by how intimate they must have appeared to an outsider. He stared down at his cooling nachos, unable to answer when she asked them if they were enjoying everything.

“We are, thank you,” Cody answered for him, as she refilled their glasses.

Before the waitress left, she glanced at them and said, with a knowing smile, “You two make such a sweet couple.” 

“Oh,” Cody uttered, a startled grin spreading across his face. Noel, whose own face was on fucking fire at this point, started chugging his glass of water so he didn’t have to address that comment. 

“We’re, uh,” Cody said, stifling a laugh, “We’re not a couple.” 

“My mistake,” she said smoothly, in a voice that suggested she didn’t believe him at all. Noel thunked his now mostly-empty glass down on the table, and the waitress refilled it once more before she walked away.

Cody laughed openly as soon as she was out of earshot. “The hell was that about?” 

“Yeah, fuck knows where she’d get that idea,” Noel said, like a goddamn liar. 

“I meant you,” Cody said, reacquainting himself with his burrito. “You’ve been so weird tonight.” 

“ _You’re_ weird,” Noel fired back, and Cody only rolled his eyes at that. 

Noel had lost his appetite, was prickly with self-consciousness and this odd sense of guilt that sat at the bottom of his stomach like a stone, so he hadn’t touched his plate by the time Cody polished off the rest of his own in a few wolfish bites.

“You’re just gonna let those get soggy?” 

“You can have ‘em,” Noel said. 

“Nope, I’m full,” Cody said, and belched demonstrably. 

They got the check and split, Noel’s nachos piled into a takeout box, though he knew they were already unappetizingly mushy and he’d more than likely end up throwing them out. It was a matter of principle yet again; the younger, more needfully frugal version of himself that still lived in the back of his brain rebelling at the idea of wasting food he’d paid for. 

“This was fun,” Cody said when they were loitering awkwardly in front of the door to Noel’s apartment, an almost shy smile on his face. “We should do it more often.” 

Noel - who was feeling more and more like they could slip away from each other so easily now if they weren’t careful, what with their respective professional obligations and their diverging social circles and the inescapability of their working relationship, overlaid on their friendship like a weighted blanket - agreed wholeheartedly. He wanted to say, _I’m scared it’ll stop being fun one day_ , or conversely, _You remember the first time we ever went out to lunch together, and how fucking incredible it felt, at least to me?_

Instead of opening either can of worms, he merely grunted in acknowledgement.

Cody looked like he wanted to say something else, rubbing at his nose and shifting his legs, but maybe he was waiting for a cue he never received, because all he ended up saying was, “See ya, dude.” He offered Noel his upturned fist, and Noel had a fleeting thought of, _How funny would it be if I just bent down and kissed it_ , before he bumped it with his knuckles. 

Cody turned to leave, and Noel was suddenly tangled up in questions of why Cody had walked him back to his place to begin with, like some chivalrous varsity-jacket-wearing meathead jock escorting his fucking girlfriend home safely, and before he could give it a single practical thought, he’d blurted out, “Wanna come in?” 

As it turned out, Cody did. They spent the rest of the night flipping through shitty Netflix comedy specials until they drifted into sleep together on Noel’s couch. 

* * *

  
“Yo, can you open this?”

Noel held a jar of pickles out to Cody, who took it and easily unscrewed the lid without pulling his attention away from Sam, who was telling a long-winded story about some ridiculous party he’d attended.

Sam abandoned his story without warning, gesturing at Noel. “Dude, isn’t that a little emasculating?” 

“What?” 

“Do you always have Cody open jars for you?” 

Preemptive irritation made Noel’s jaw tighten. He tried to keep his voice level when he said, “Fuck off, Sam.” 

“I don’t mind doing it,” Cody piped up unhelpfully. 

“Uh-huh. Is that also what you say before you put your dick in Noel’s ass?” 

“Hey, hey,” Cody yelped, setting the jar aside to hold his hands up placatingly. 

“That’s not fucking funny,” Noel snapped, raising his voice involuntarily. 

“Alright, calm down,” Sam said, barely apologetic, “I’m just messing with you.” 

Cody got up, stretched one hand in Noel’s direction. “Let’s please just - ”

Noel wrenched himself away from Cody and walked out, slamming the door behind him as hard as he could. 

* * *

  
“We should prob’ly get back to work,” Cody said without much conviction. He made no effort to deviate from their current position, which involved their respective dining room chairs all but locking legs, and Cody’s arm draped around Noel’s shoulders as they huddled together to watch choice WWE clips on Noel’s phone.

They’d been sitting like that for too long now, having taken a break from TMG business talk that led them down various YouTube rabbit holes. It was dark out by now, and Cody had an early-ish flight to Cuba the following day, so they were quickly running out of time to waste.

With great reluctance, Noel finally put his phone away and lazily echoed, “Back to it.” He stretched his arms out in front of him, cracked his knuckles. “Where’d we leave off, again?” 

Cody chuckled, drew his arm away from Noel’s shoulders as he sat back in his chair. “Literally no clue.”

Noel sighed, thinking pensively about when their schedules would next align, and how he wished Cody would slow the fuck down for once, so they didn’t need to budget their time together as strictly as they had been as of late. 

His gloomy train of thought was interrupted when Cody nudged him with his elbow. “You okay?”

Noel glanced over at him, pasted on a weak smile. “Sure. Just thinking ‘bout logistics and shit.” 

“It’ll all be fine,” Cody said, with that same stubborn optimism that Noel resented and admired in equal parts.

_You don’t know that_ , Noel would have once said, or, _False positivity is counterproductive_. But he really knew Cody now, and with that came the understanding that his positivity, as much as it pissed Noel off sometimes, was for real. 

“Dude, gimme a hug,” Cody said, oddly abrupt. 

“Cody,” Noel started, almost warningly, not quite in the mood to indulge his overly affectionate tendencies.

“You seem stressed, and I’m not gonna see you again for half a month, and also I just feel like it, okay,” Cody babbled, the lilt of his voice dipping ever so slightly into whining territory.

Noel didn’t need to ponder the request all that much, really, but he made a show of doing so anyway, frowning as if to express, _The shit I do for you_.

“A’ight, fine,” he eventually said, and held his arms open, only for Cody to envelop Noel between his arms instead, so tightly that it was startling. “Hey,” Noel protested, the word partly muffled because his mouth was pressed against Cody’s shoulder, and Cody quickly said, “Sorry,” in a way that made it clear that he wasn’t, actually.

Noel smiled despite himself, since Cody couldn’t see it, and closed his eyes, allowing himself to enjoy the embrace for a languid moment. He hated himself a little for even thinking it, but the physical contact _was_ making him feel incredibly better, gratitude swelling in his heart with a rapidity that pained him. Cody’s arms and chest were so sturdy that he could temporarily pretend that he’d taken up residence between them, which… _Okay, time out, you corny-ass fool. Where’s your fucking head at?_

Noel’s emerging pinprick of shame shattered his short-lived inner peace, and his thoughts started to choke him as they very often did, collating into a turbulent mass of self-contempt that hissed and spat at him. Whereas before, he’d felt remarkably safe in Cody’s arms, all he felt now was how small and pitiable he truly was.

Noel tried to break away, but Cody didn’t budge an inch at his movement, like he hadn't noticed at all... which made Noel feel even worse.

“Let go,” Noel said sharply, and Cody complied immediately, dropping his arms and taking a precautionary step back.

“What’s wrong?”

Cody's eyes were big and concerned and Noel just wanted everything to be _quiet_. He swallowed, hard. “Nothing,” he said, gaze unfocused, heartbeat clamoring in his ears. “Go pack your shit - I don’t want you texting me from the airport tomorrow cryin’ about how you left your laptop ‘n’ three internal organs at home.” 

Cody didn’t take the bait, remaining silent and still for a beat before he said, “I can stay, if you want.” 

Noel’s head snapped up, and Cody tripped over his words instantly, rushing to clarify, “T-tonight, I mean. Like, if… if you need to talk, or… I dunno. I could still make my flight, I think.” 

“No,” Noel said instinctively, the firmness in his voice surprising them both. 

Cody’s eyes dropped to the floor, his face incongruously unreadable. “Yeah,” he said,” No, totally.” 

“It’s late,” Noel said mechanically. 

“Right, right. I’ll, um. I’ll text you when I get home. You’re sure you’re good?” 

“I’m good. Fuck off already.” He forced a smile with that last part, but Cody didn’t return it. 

“Okay.” 

After they’d exchanged uncharacteristically stilted goodbyes and Cody had long gone, Noel spent what felt like an eternity agonizing over how he’d acted that night, the brutal circuit of his thoughts trampling his ego to bloody fucking pieces. In the midst of his self-flagellatory mental fit, he picked up his phone and sent two texts to Cody, the first being, _safe travels bruv_ , and the immediate second being, _appreciate you_. The instant the little gray dots signaling an incoming reply popped up, Noel abandoned his phone facedown on the table and went to turn on his gaming PC.

He couldn’t bring himself to check his phone until around 4:30 in the morning, when he’d grown weary enough to go to bed at last, eyes sore and tongue like sandpaper. Cody had sent him exactly one text in response, hours and hours ago.

_love u. take care of urself while I'm away._

Noel furiously scrubbed at the moisture that sprung to his eyes, frustration hitting him like an 18-wheeler. For the life of him, he couldn’t understand how Cody could say shit like that like it was no big thing. 

* * *

“Missed me?”

The corners of Cody’s eyes crinkled when he smiled, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his sweatpants. The frames of his glasses were the slightest bit bent out of shape from when he’d accidentally slept in them one night, and he had a half-healed patch of sunburn on the bridge of his nose, where he’d likely forgotten to apply SPF recently.

_God, he’s so fucking stupid_ , Noel thought, this weird buzzing sensation kicking up beneath his skin.

“You need a haircut,” Noel said, “Your shit’s starting to look like a Dollar Store weave.”

Cody laughed like that was actually a good joke, head thrown back and everything, and Noel grinned so wide it hurt. 

* * *

  
“I can’t believe I let you talk me into this,” Noel said to Cody, wiping the remaining sweat off his face with his forearm as they exited Gold’s.

“Aw, so you’re _not_ getting a membership, then? Was it really that bad?” 

“Cody, I dunno how you can feel any type of motivation to go to the gym when you’re surrounded by nothin’ but oiled-up beef slabs who’re more on top of their shit than you’ll ever - ”

Noel stopped talking when Cody accidentally crashed into someone.

“Shit,” Cody said, stumbling back, “Sorry, man. I wasn’t looking.” 

The guy Cody had run into; who happened to be absolutely _yoked_ , muscles practically bulging out of his workout gear; had a displeased expression on his face. “You scuffed my shoe,” the guy said, inspecting said shoe with a deepening frown.

“Sorry,” Cody repeated, sounding nervous now. 

“Do you know how much these shoes cost?” 

He took a step forward, looming over Cody with his considerable height advantage. 

“They’re Dolce & Gabbana,” the guy continued, answering his own question. 

Noel’s patience, which had been hanging by a string that morning as it was, given the miserable gym experience Cody had forced upon him, finally broke. “So don’t work out in them, dumbfuck,” he said loudly, claiming the dude’s undivided attention.

“ _Excuse_ me?” 

“What kinda exercise would you even be able to do in shoes like that? D’you just do a couple fuckin’ pirouettes and then call it a day?”

“Noel!” 

“Or, wait, I know - you pay for your membership every month so you can come in, take your geotagged Insta selfies with the machines, and leave. That’s the only way this makes sense.” 

The guy grabbed Noel by the front of his shirt and yanked him forward so that he was glaring directly into his face. “I should beat your ass for that,” he growled. 

“Do it, pussy,” Noel said, his hands trembling with anticipation. 

“Noel, shut the _fuck_ up,” Cody interjected, trying to get in between Noel and Big Angry Guy. 

“Listen, I can pay you for the shoes, okay?” 

“Don’t you fucking - ”

“Noel, I swear to god,” Cody said, the fury that temporarily flashed across his features shutting Noel up. He turned back to the guy. “You got Venmo?”

When they were alone again in Cody’s car, the heavy silence in the air only lasted twenty or so seconds before Cody burst out, “Are you _insane_? What were you thinking?” 

Noel stared forward blankly, focused on calming the residual effects of his adrenaline rush. “I wasn’t gonna let him rough you up over some stupid-ass bougie shoes,” he said. 

“Oh, don’t make this about me,” Cody huffed, completely unswayed, “You have, like, an inferiority complex. You’re always doing this macho posturing shit.” 

Noel put on an exaggeratedly breathy voice. “Is that so, Doctor? Diagnose me some more, since you’re such an expert.” 

Cody groaned, dragging a hand over his face. “Thing is, I don’t have a fuckin’ clue why you’re so insecure about it. I feel like a little bitch around you _all_ the time.” 

Noel’s hands unclenched, his mask of hostility slipping. “Huh? Why?” 

Cody looked abruptly small, drooping in his seat, face turned away from Noel. “It’s embarrassing.” 

“Cody, c’mon, man. Humor me.” 

Cody bit his lip, and the next words out of his mouth were spoken haltingly, like he was dredging them up from somewhere deep inside himself. “You’re just so fuckin’... effortlessly cool, a-and dependable...”

Cody crossed his arms over his chest, and Noel’s throat was suddenly dry, his thoughts snagging on how good Cody’s biceps looked in the stupid tank top he was wearing.

“... and your voice, dude?” 

When Noel shot his eyes up to Cody’s face, Cody was gazing right back at him. The sudden eye contact was like a static shock. 

“Yeah? What about it,” Noel asked softly, intentionally pitching the words a bit lower than normal.

“Um,” Cody said, and Noel drank in the inevitable flush blooming across his skin, the tiny little freckles spattered over his nose and cheeks that you couldn’t see unless you got real close, the slight sheen of sweat above his upper lip.

Noel brought his hand to Cody’s shoulder, clutched at it like it could anchor him to Earth.

“I, uh,” Cody tried again, and then - in a rush of movement - they were kissing, clumsy and frantic and quickly breathless, fingers roaming and groping like they wanted to turn each other inside out.

“There’s people,” Cody said between panting breaths, as Noel sucked bruising kisses along his neck, one hand twisted into Cody’s damp hair and the other roving down the plane of his chest.

“Let ‘em see,” Noel said, digging the heel of his hand against his own cock for relief when Cody moaned unreservedly in response.

“That’s... no, we gotta - bed,” Cody said, almost unintelligibly, surging forward to kiss Noel’s mouth as soon as he’d gotten the words out. “Lube,” Cody said between kisses, “and condoms.”

“Got any?” Noel asked hopefully, index finger tracing the elastic waistband of Cody’s basketball shorts. 

“Back home,” Cody said, and Noel groaned, pulled away to take a breath.

“Okay, you’re right, we should drive back. I’ll be good.” He retreated into his own seat and sat back against the headrest, eyes falling shut as he consciously attempted to come down to reality, skin aflame.

“Noel,” Cody said, and Noel’s eyes instantly flickered open. “Hm?” 

Cody cleared his throat, his hands jittering as he began to speak. “I didn’t mean to assume - we don’t need to do anything more than this if… if you don’t want. I know you haven’t done anything with a guy before, so if you’re not comfortable with, um - ”

Noel leaned over the console to kiss Cody gently on the lips.

“I do want,” Noel said when they’d broken apart, his chest tightening at the reverential expression Cody was wearing. “Trust me.” 

“O-okay,” Cody said, his face splitting into a grin.

“Okay,” Noel parroted, and as he watched Cody feverishly search for his keys, he appreciated the feeling of pure, uncomplicated happiness that buoyed him. When Cody finally started the car, Noel mused, “Maybe we should shower first, though, ‘cause you fuckin’ _stink_ , B.” 

“Fuck you,” Cody spluttered, giving his armpit a quick sniff, and subsequently making a face. “I hate when you’re right.” 

“So, every day of our lives?” 

“No,” Cody said, momentarily shifting his eyes from the rearview mirror to the passenger seat, “Shut up.”

They spent pretty much the entire drive to Cody’s place bickering childishly, and Noel wouldn’t have it any other way. 

**Author's Note:**

> Yes hello did someone order a plate of Same Old Shit? No? You’re out of luck then, because I love to fish around in my grab bag of dumb tropes. 
> 
> Anyway, FYI: 
> 
> 1) I know I haven’t published anything in Cody’s POV yet, but that’s because I can relate more to Noel in certain ways that make him more rewarding to write (though Cody is admittedly my favorite of these two goblins). 
> 
> 2) This fic was supposed to be “Noel acts tough and everyone buys it except Cody”, but it turned into… whatever this is. Sorry?
> 
> 3) I actually had written a large chunk of two different TMG AUs before they got muhfuggin deleted months ago, and with that said, please let me know in the comments if any of you are interested in either of the following concepts: 
> 
> A) _Cody gets genetically cloned a la the Netflix show “Living With Yourself” starring Paul Rudd, and Noel has to navigate the shit show that ensues._
> 
> B) _Noel’s a depressed loner CS major and Cody’s a popular frat boy CS major and they slowly fall in love._ Technically the (cursed) original concept for this was “incel Noel and chad Cody”, but you know we gotta inject some nuance into that because I’m not trying to write about irredeemable pricks.
> 
> Full disclosure: I almost definitely wouldn’t write either of the above concepts the same way as I’d been doing before, because retracing my steps would just make me sad, but I could riff on them at least. And no promises, because my brain periodically craps out “new” fic ideas that take over my attention instead, and that’s how I end up with dozens of lonely WIPs. Case in point: I was ~~crying over~~ watching live concert footage one day and thought, "I should write a TMG ROCK BAND AU", because I’m BORING and PREDICTABLE. Then there’s this other thing I’m struggling to write that’s literally just, _Cody wears feminine stuff and Noel thinks it’s hot_ , because again, boring and predictable. Whether any of these will see the light of day remains to be seen. 
> 
> As always, bless you for reading my silly fic and my sillier ramblings! I adore comments _so thanks if you do that_.


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